The Desire for Contentment, Wholeness, and Life

Christ is the answer you've been looking for.


A mentor of mine once said that God's commandments are not a prison to keep us trapped in but a high wall to keep evil out. If only people were taught that every choice made brings some form of consequence (good or bad) and that peer pressure, while I'm sure continues in some form throughout someone's life, can lead a person down paths they never thought they would travel with people they know for merely a brief time whom themselves follow the crowd as not to appear different, can be overcome by finding one's identity and purpose in the Lord Jesus Christ.


It is through God alone that people can find the strength to not go along with the crowd. It is through His intervention and work in one's life that people are free to live as whole and healthy human beings that desire to honor Christ above their own gratification and who can more clearly see that we were put on this earth to know our Creator and not to live selfishly for ourselves. Without such knowledge, I am afraid to say that people will continually search for a joy and fulfillment that will never actually satisfy because anything this world has to offer was never meant to satisfy us. It has been said that every person has a God-shaped hole in their heart and that to love and know Him is one's greatest privilege and what makes us most fully content. To be at peace with God is to know true happiness, to be pardoned of all one's sins from the past and to gain the strength and help needed to walk in His ways in the present. His forgiveness is total and though we will never obtain being sinless and will always be tempted, we can (through the regular reading of God's word, studying Christian resources and Apologetic materials to learn how to articulate and share what we believe and why we believe it, seeking Biblical Counsel to deal with issues or sinful patterns in our lives, having accountability partners and godly friends/mentors who speak truth into our lives and help us grow as individuals) become more like Christ as time goes on. He is our example and our lives are to emulate Him. We are to pattern our entire existence around being a proper representative of Jesus and an ambassador for His Kingdom. As Christians, we are to live in full surrender and submission to God's perfect will and the work He desires to do in and through our lives. We are to take His word seriously and attend church weekly as to hear His word taught, participate in public worship, and fellowship with other believers. We are to commit our lives to being used by Him and it would both honor God and do us well to live with the following quote by Betty Scott Stam in mind:


"Lord, I give up all my own plans and purposes, all my own desires and hopes, and accept Thy will for my life. I give myself, my time, my all, utterly to Thee to be Thine forever. Fill me and seal me with Thy Holy Spirit. Use me as Thou wilt, send me where Thou wilt, work out Thy whole will in my life at any cost, now and forever."

Comparison is Both Futile and Illogical

Everyone we meet has a history of mistakes, failures, accomplishments, insecurities, sorrows, choices they are proud of and decisions they regret, places they have been (good and bad), people they have met (for better or ill), beliefs built, habits formed (beneficial and heartbreaking), goals set, plans made, an upbringing that helped or scarred them, etc.


Therefore, it is foolish to compare ourselves to them (for you never truly know what they have gone through or the skeletons in their closet). You don't know what keeps them awake at night or makes them get out of bed in the morning. You don't know the weight of responsibility on their shoulders or their living situation. You don't know if they are suicidal or even if they will ever be saved or are genuinely saved (time will tell). You don't know every relationship broken and every hurt or form of bondage they carry. You don't know what their childhood was like or the sort of parents they had, how they did in school or where their future is fully headed.


So please, do yourself a favor and stop wishing you were someone else. Stop assuming that everyone has it better than you. Stop thinking that a nicer looking face (in your opinion) or greater wealth equals happiness or lack of problems. Stop believing that being popular or thinner, taller or more outgoing, will bring lasting fulfillment (because it won't). Our hearts are too complex and our worth too valuable (being made in the image of God and Him forming us in our mothers' wombs - Psalm 139: 13-14) to find total security or rich fulfillment in the things of this world.


Rest in the One who can make you a new creature in Him (Second Corinthians 5: 17). Surrender your life (and will) in its entirety to the King of kings and Lord of lords. God is the only One who can satisfy the human heart. As the song O Holy Night states it:

O holy night the stars are brightly shining

It is the night of our dear Savior's birth

Long lay the world in sin and error pining

'Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth

The Uncertainties of Life and God's Will

By Elizabeth George

If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.

James 4:15

There are two conditions we should be careful not to violate in our decision making and planning. The first is failing to consider our finiteness as humans. Let’s face it-our knowledge is limited. We have no way of knowing what the future holds for us.


The second is failing to consider the uncertainty of life, which James describes as a mere vapor (James 4:14).


As a [person] after God’s own heart who desires to live and grow in wisdom, follow these basic principles:

• Realize only God knows your future.
• Realize God has a purpose for your life.
• Realize God may send interruptions into your "perfect" day.
• Remember to pray over your plans, asking God for guidance.
• Remember to say, "If the Lord wills…"
• Remember to stay flexible and open to what God has in mind.

God, You are the only One who knows what tomorrow will bring. Help me plan my day and my week with wisdom. Help me make the most of each day. Guide me and help me remember to be open to any unexpected turns You might bring my way. Amen.

Pain, Trials, and Difficulty...Oh My!

 

 

 

"In the Furnace of Affliction"

from J. R. Miller's Living Without Worry

 

 

Sooner or later, affliction and sorrow come to every Christian.  We ought, therefore, to have true views about pain; about the divine reasons for sending it, and about the mission on which it comes.  We ought to know also how to endure suffering, so as to get from it the blessing which its hot hand brings to us.

 

 

While they do not solve all the mystery of human suffering, the Scriptures show, at least, that suffering is no accident in God's world, but is one of His messengers, and that it comes not as an enemy, but as a friend on an errand of blessing.  The design of God, in all the afflictions which He sends upon His people, is to make them more holy, to advance their purification of character.  It is very clearly taught in the word of God that suffering is necessary in preparing sinful souls in this world for heavenly glory.  We must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God.  There is no easy way to glory.  There is so much evil in us, even after we are born again, that nothing less than the discipline of pain can cleanse our nature.

 

 

Tribulation is God's threshing; not to harm us or to destroy us, but to separate what is heavenly and spiritual in us, from what is earthly and fleshly.  Nothing less than blows of pain will do this.  Evil clings strongly, even to the godly. ...Godly character can never be attained but through suffering.  Holiness cannot be reached without cost.  Those who would gain the lofty heights must climb the cold, rough steeps which lead to them.

 

 

It is God's design in all the pain which He sends to make us more Christ-like.  He puts in us the fire of purification until His own image shines reflected in the gold.  His prunings mean greater fruitfulness.  In whatever form the suffering comes, the purpose of the pain is merciful.  In all our life in this world, God is purifying us and suffering is one of the chief agents which He employs.  ...Suffering develops in us qualities of Christian character which cannot be developed in any other way.

 

 

But not all afflictions make people better.  They do not always produce endurance.  Chastening does not always yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness.  We all have seen people suffering who became only more impatient, irritable, ill-tempered and selfish as they suffered.  Many a life in the purpose of affliction loses all the beauty it ever had.  It is not by any means universally true that we are made more holy and Christ-like by pain.  Afflictions must be received as God's messengers.  They often come in very somber garb.  And it is only when we receive them in faith that they disclose to us their merciful aspect and mission.  We should, therefore, receive afflictions reverently, as sent from God.  We may be assured that there is always some blessing for us in pain's hot hand.

 

 

...God designs to burn off some sins from us in every fire through which He calls us to pass.  No one who murmurs under God's chastening hand is ever made better by it.  The true aim of suffering is to get from it more purity of soul, greater revelations of God's face, more love to Christ, deeper joy in the heart, holier living, and fresh strength for obedience and all duty.

Restoration Over Years Wasted

 

"Losses Overcome"

May 18 Devotional in "Faith's Checkbook" by Charles Spurgeon

And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten.  (Joel 2:25)


Yes, those wasted years over which we sigh shall be restored to us.  God can give us such plentiful grace that we shall crowd into the remainder of our days as much of service as will be some recompense for those years of unregeneracy over which we mourn in humble penitence.


The locusts of backsliding, worldliness, lukewarmness, are now viewed by us as a terrible plague.  Oh, that they had never come near us!  The Lord in mercy has now taken them away, and we are full of zeal to serve Him.  Blessed be His name, we can raise such harvests of spiritual graces as shall make our former barrenness to disappear.  Through rich grace we can turn to account our bitter experience and use it to warn others.  We can become the more rooted in humility, childlike dependence, and penitent spirituality by reason of our former shortcomings.  If we are the more watchful, zealous, and tender, we shall gain by our lamentable losses.  The wasted years, by a miracle of love, can be restored.  Does it seem too great a boon?  Let us believe for it and live for it, and we may yet realize it, even as Peter became all the more useful a man after his presumption was cured by his discovered weakness.  Lord, aid us by Thy grace.

Afflictions Truly Used For Our Good

 

"Choice Men"

August 27 Devotional in "Faith's Checkbook" by Charles Spurgeon

I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.  (Isaiah 48:10)


This has long been the motto fixed before our eye upon the wall of our bedroom, and in many ways it has also been written on our heart.  It is no mean thing to be chosen of God.  God's choice makes chosen men choice men.  Better to be the elect of God than the elect of a whole nation.  So eminent is this privilege, that whatever drawback may be joined to it we very joyfully accept it, even as the Jew ate the bitter herbs for the sake of the Paschal Lamb.  We choose the furnace, since God chooses us in it.


We are chosen as an afflicted people and not as a prosperous people, chosen not in the palace but in the furnace.  In the furnace beauty is marred, fashion is destroyed, strength is melted, glory is consumed, and yet here eternal love reveals its secrets and declares its choice.  So has it been in our case.  In times of severest trial God has made to us our calling and election plain, and we have made it sure: then have we chosen the Lord to be our God, and He has shown that we are assuredly His chosen.  Therefore, if today the furnace be heated seven times hotter, we will not dread it, for the glorious Son of God will walk with us amid the glowing coals.

God's Purpose in Affliction

 

"Better Farther On"

February 19 Devotional in "Faith's Checkbook" by Charles Spurgeon

Though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more.  (Nahum 1:12)


There is a limit to affliction.  God sends it, and God removes it.  Do you sigh and say, "When will the end be?"  Remember that our griefs will surely and finally end when this poor earthly life is over.  Let us quietly wait and patiently endure the will of the Lord till He cometh.


Meanwhile, our Father in heaven takes away the rod when His design in using it is fully served.  When He has whipped away our folly, there will be no more strokes.  Or, if the affliction is sent for testing us, that our graces may glorify God, it will end when the Lord has made us bear witness to His praise.  We would not wish the affliction to depart till God has gotten out of us all the honor which we can possibly yield Him.


There may today be "a great calm."  Who knows how soon those raging billows will give place to a sea of glass, and the sea birds sit on the gentle waves?  After long tribulation the flail is hung up, and the wheat rests in the garner.  We may, before many hours are past, be just as happy as now we are sorrowful.  It is not hard for the Lord to turn night into day.  He that sends the clouds can as easily clear the skies.  Let us be of good cheer.  It is better on before.  Let us sing hallelujah by anticipation.

Finding Rest in the Midst of Life's Troubles

 

"Rest is a Gift"

January 14 Devotional in "Faith's Checkbook" by Charles Spurgeon

Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  (Matthew 11:28)


We who are saved find rest in Jesus.  Those who are not saved will receive rest if they come to Him, for here He promises to "give" it.  Nothing can be freer than a gift; let us gladly accept what He gladly gives.  You are not to buy it, nor to borrow it, but to receive it as a gift.  You labor under the lash of ambition, covetousness, lust, or anxiety: He will set you free from this iron bondage and give you rest.  You are "laden," yes, "heavy laden" with sin, fear, care, remorse, fear of death; but if you come to Him He will unload you.  He carried the crushing mass of our sin that we might no longer carry it.  He made Himself the great Burden-bearer, that every laden one might cease from bowing down under the enormous pressure.


Jesus gives rest.  It is so.  Will you believe it?  Will you put it to the test?  Will you do so at once?  Come to Jesus by quitting every other hope, by thinking of Him, believing God's testimony about Him, and trusting everything with Him.  If you thus come to Him the rest which He will give you will be deep, safe, holy, and everlasting.  He gives a rest which develops into heaven, and He gives it this day to all who come to Him.

Depression vs. Joyful Trust in God

 

 

 

Bullying.  Low self-esteem.  Childhood abuse.  Neglectful, distant parents.  Guilt from your past.  Lack of money and success (by the world's standards).  Feeling stupid, unattractive, overweight, and worthless.  ...

 

 

All of this and more contributes to a person's self-image, how they perceive themselves, and the way they assume others see them.

 

 

Sometimes feeling low, hurt, alone, unwanted, rejected, and no good plays out in forms of seeking control (like having an eating disorder and this enabling you to control how much you exercise and the portions of food you allow yourself to eat - after all, the anorexic or bulimic asserts, If I have no control over my out-of-control life, at least I can control this).  It may manifest itself through self-injury, isolating ourselves from others, constant put-downs in our minds that ever seem to haunt and overwhelm us, or acting out by viewing porn often or being addicted to masturbation.

 

 

We may drown ourselves in the reading of many books or watch hours of television.  We may spend time with the wrong crowd because we feel accepted there despite our flaws.  We might even waste time on the internet just so we can be distracted from life's problems.  We figure that constantly having music playing or the TV running in the background will somehow drown out the noise of our insecurities or feelings of inadequacy.  ...and often times, we will find many other ways to cope with our stress, pain, poor self-esteem, or life's uncertainties (not thinking long-term as to how the choices we are making today will affect us into the future) instead of admitting to ourselves first and foremost that yes, we are not perfect and are in need of help, and then taking the necessary steps toward working on our issues.

 

 

Steps such as:

 

• Reading God's word (which is truth and speaks honestly and brilliantly about the human condition of selfishness, guilt, and sin) and allowing God's thoughts in the Bible to shape our thoughts and to become the standard by which we measure everything...including how we see ourselves and view others
• Pray to God as though you were speaking to your closest friend.  The Lord's friendship is different because unlike even the best of friends, He is always present, always trustworthy, always perfect, and always has our best interest at heart.  Psalm 62: 8, "Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us."
• Seek Biblical counsel.  I cannot stress enough the importance of seeking help from counselors who know the word of God and will help you work through any issues from a Biblical perspective.  I have sought counsel over the last few years with a few different people and am always open to seeking help again if need be because I see the beauty of asking for help and learning how to cope with everyday life in a healthy, God-honoring manner
• Write through email to Bible-believing, Jesus-following, integrity-filled churches and ministries asking for suggestions over resources they recommend that deal with your particular sin or problem
• Stop putting yourself down.  This is something that took me several years to stop doing.  Several years!  I would put myself down as I saw others who were better off in life or prettier or more successful.  I would call myself names and rehearse again and again how unwanted and worthless I was and repeat often that I am no good, a reject, and haven't amounted to anything.  I would question God's character for allowing certain situations to go on in my life and family & became very angry, bitter, resentful, and envious.  I now see that rehearsing put-downs and the enemy's lies daily in my mind was adding fuel to the fire of my desperate and hurting heart & accomplished nothing but scars on my body through self-injury, tears when I felt overwhelmed, and distance between me and the Lord because I was so upset and felt incredibly alone.  I have discovered that similar to lust which is insatiable, putting ourselves down has the same effect: No matter how much we put ourselves down (or the ways we feed our lust), it will never deliver in the way we are hoping.  There were times I felt so low that I thought even the fires of hell would not suffice in the torture I deserved.  (Please understand these were my thoughts at very low times in my life and when I wasn't following after the Lord.  They were the words of a hurting teenager or early twenty-something who was sad and depressed.)  And you know what's amazing?  I am no longer that girl.  What was once darkness is now beautiful, bright sunlight (I love sunlight because it shines and is beautiful to behold - especially during Spring when it isn't too hot or cold outside and flowers and trees look lovely!)  What was once mourning has now turned into dancing (Psalm 30: 11).  What was once a sad and hopeless outlook with no hope for the future because I couldn't see past my current or past circumstances and experiences has now become a restful trust in my perfect Savior who has my whole heart (Second Chronicles 16: 9) and has set me free and made me new (Second Corinthians 5: 17), who has restored me (Joel 2: 25) and cleansed me from my sin (First John 1: 9), who loves me and who has put a new song in my mouth (Psalm 40: 3).

 

 

Readers, if you are hurting inside, please remember that it is NOT shameful to seek help.  It isn't even shameful to feel depressed or sad (we all go through times - or years - like this to a greater or lesser degree and there are many factors to how we feel).

 

 

If you would like to share what is on your heart with me, ask questions, would like recommendations for different ministries that address what you are going through, or just want someone to be an encouragement to you and point you back to the truth of God's word, you may write to me at:  EmmaJoyBlog@gmail.com

 

 

" 'For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.' "  Second Chronicles 16: 9

 

 

" 'O our God...we are powerless...nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You.' "  Second Chronicles 20: 12

 

 

" 'The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You.  Trust in the LORD forever, for in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.' "  Isaiah 26: 3-4

When Nothing is Changing (or everything is)

 

 

 

What do you do when life is terribly depressing and nothing is changing (or everything is)?

 

 

How do you usually respond when something unexpected or disappointing happens?  Tears?  Anger?  Excessive porn consumption?  Binge eating?  ...or immediate prayer?  calling your accountability partners and asking for counsel?  trusting that God has allowed this in His perfect wisdom (and even though you can't understand a reason for it, the Lord knows all things and is in control)?

 

 

Life can be uncertain and it has its ups and downs.  It's obvious that disaster can strike at any point, people die, parents divorce, friends move away, or it seems that everyone is getting married and you're still single.  It can be tough to deal with life without a support system or without having trustworthy and God-honoring friends or mentors to turn to for wisdom, conversation, and prayer.

 

 

I encourage each of you to surrender your entire life; past, present, and future to God beginning now - even hourly.  What better comfort than to know that your life in its entirety is in the hands of a perfect and loving God who only and always has your best interest at heart?

 

 

If you are anything like me, the idea of giving God full control isn't natural.  It's actually something we hesitate in doing or cringe at because we assume - and the key word here is assume - we know what God's will is and this scares us.  It's amazing how our fears become exaggerated in our minds the more we dwell on them and how we begin to believe our thoughts or the clear lies of satan instead of clinging to the truths about God found only in His precious word, the Bible.

 

 

Someone asked me recently how they can surrender everything to God and almost hinted at it appearing as though this was easy for me to do.  Wrong.  I explained to this dear friend that there were many times I said to God, "I don't want to serve You because I don't trust You with my life.  I don't even want to pray.  I'm afraid of what I perceive Your plan is and I feel like if I give You full control, everything I fear will take place and all that I desire won't happen..."  There were also many times I prayed, "God, please give me a willing heart toward You.  If You don't intervene, I will continue to harden my heart toward You.  Even if it hurts, please bring me to the end of myself and let everything in this world fade in comparison to me knowing You.  Please intervene because if You don't, I will literally destroy myself.  I obviously can't live this life on my own."

 

 

If you feel anxious at the thought of giving God full-control of your life, I encourage you to read God's word every day for the next week.  Read the Psalms and the Epistles, the Gospels and the book of Proverbs.  Pray that God would open your eyes to see His character Biblically and give you the willingness to place your life in its entirety in His hands.  And by all means, if you feel bitter, resentful, angry, hurt, or even downright disinterested in God because of how you have perceived Him to be for so long or maybe because of people you have known who claimed to serve God and yet were hypocritical, rude, or totally un-Christlike, tell God all of this from your heart.  Hold nothing back from Him in prayer.  I have discovered that one of the major factors in my closeness to God and my growing intimacy with Him is being totally honest with Him in prayer about everything; from my desires to burdens, worries to goals, feelings to problems.  Lay everything before the Lord and pray that He would intervene in your heart and life (and mind & desires!) and break you of all that is not of Him.

 

 

Giving Christ full control can be scary because you are venturing out and giving Almighty God full custody of your life to do with as He wills, but oh the freedom, joy, peace, and power of letting Him take the role of Master and Lord in all aspects of your life.

When You Can't Make Sense of Life

 

 

 

What is someone supposed to do whose life has been very difficult?  Someone who hasn't had many friends at all (possibly only one), hasn't been very stable financially and couldn't afford nice clothes or items like others, and has gone through rough trials and hurtful situations in life...not knowing how to make sense of any of it?

 

 

As I get older, I am starting to realize that the pursuit of happiness and seeking to be problem and stress free will never be a reality.  It can't be.  When you consider the selfishness of so many and how they do not regard how their actions, behavior, and words will affect others...or the choices they make which may lead many people on a downward spiral of destruction (like a parent introducing their child to drugs or an older sibling showing their younger brother or sister porn from a young age and they instantly get addicted), it is no small wonder to finally see that every choice we make not only affects us, but others as well in many ways.

 

 

So much of our pain in life is the result of either irresponsibility or neglect on our part or the part of others (including our parents or friends) and we end up suffering in some way because of the choices we have made or because our parents or guardians have allowed us to experience or be exposed to forms of evil from the time we were young.

 

 

The best counsel I could offer is to commit everything in your life (past, present and future) to God; pleading that He would truly heal and restore you from any and all underlying issues and hurts you still carry around or possible wounds that have been reopened in ways due to various circumstances in recent times.

 

 

Life, regardless if we choose to believe this or not, is difficult in many ways for everyone.  Some people appear to have it all together or be content in life because of their joyful perspective or happy-go-lucky attitude, yet you really do not know what problems they have been through in life, what they experienced as children or young adults, or choices they made even a week ago that they wish could be taken back because the "pay off" of sin was not worth the consequences that may very well follow.

 

 

Please pray for me as often as you think of it, asking God to heal my soul and remove my brokenness, intervene in ways I need Him to and give me a heart of peaceful trust in Him.

 

 

Thank you!

The More Powerful Allurements of Love

 

"Wilderness Communion"

July 18 Devotional in "Faith's Checkbook" by Charles Spurgeon

"I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her."  (Hosea 2: 14)


The goodness of God sees us allured by sin, and it resolves to try upon us the more powerful allurements of love.  Do we not remember when the Lover of our souls first cast a spell upon us and charmed us away from the fascinations of the world?  He will do this again and again whenever He sees us likely to be ensnared by evil.


He promises to draw us apart, for there He can best deal with us, and this separated place is not to be a paradise, but a wilderness, since in such a place there will be nothing to take off our attention from our God.  In the deserts of affliction the presence of the Lord becomes everything to us, and we prize His company beyond any value which we set upon it when we sat under our own vine and fig tree in the society of our fellows.  Solitude and affliction bring more to themselves and to their heavenly Father than any other means.


When thus allured and secluded the Lord has choice things to say to us for our comfort.  He "speaks to our heart," as the original has it.  Oh, that at this we may have this promise explained in our experience!  Allured by love, separated by trial, and comforted by the Spirit of truth, may we know the Lord and sing for joy!

Worrying Won't Change Anything

 

Worry.


Oh, the ways it keeps us up at night, puts our stomach in knots, brings anxiety and fear to our hearts, and exaggerates our thoughts about a situation, person, or even our future and brings about nothing good. Worry is not helpful. It isn't even logical.


Worrying will not change the outcome. It will awaken our deepest fears and put any trust in God to sleep. It will make us view others with contempt and stir up envy in our hearts toward those whom we perceive as having better lives than we do. It blinds us, instills doubt in our minds, and causes us to forget that God is in control of every aspect of our lives and it is He alone that has the ability, willingness, and track record to guide us along the right path in life.


I have noticed the times I seek to be a "Sovereign Self" and try forging my own paths in life, thinking I know what is best, how it soon becomes evident that being my own lord and thinking I can trust the depravity and shifting feelings of my own heart to guide me in what is the best option in every aspect of life (the ones which I can control) is a poor decision.


I look back over all the times God seemingly ignored my requests in prayer; whether that be for working at a certain place, getting to know certain people, dating certain guys, living certain places, or even doing as I will in everything, and I truly see that God was good and His mercy abundant in putting a stop to my plans and graciously & lovingly allowing His perfect will to prevail. I honestly don't know where I would be today if God had not intervened and through various situations, people, resources, and circumstances brought my heart to the point of total surrender to Him. Only God knows...and I realize how much better off I am in life today since God said "No" or "Wait" to specific prayer requests.


God is trustworthy, even when we don't understand. God is good even when life is falling apart. God is faithful and for us even when relationships are broken, a job lost, or receiving a risky health diagnosis.


James MacDonald once said something to the effect of, "Would you really want to live longer than God has ordained for you to live (Psalm 139: 16)?" This simple yet wise quote has helped me many a time when I feared dying young, or not receiving particular desires of my heart, or worrying about whether I will marry before my mom passes away.


All we as Christians can do (and it really is the wisest choice to make each day) is rest in our loving, gentle, and compassionate Savior's arms, serve Him with a willing heart, offer Him a surrendered life, and honor Him with the renewing of our minds (Romans 12: 2), choosing to fill our minds with what corresponds with the truth of Philippians 4: 8, having a Biblical worldview and entertainment & friend choices that will propel us toward further godliness (not lead us astray even slightly).


Proverbs 3: 5-6 exhorts us to, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."


What is stopping you from placing full confidence and trust in God?

To Exalt God or Self?

 

The God of the Bible is beyond incredible.  He is lovely and perfect, wise and faithful, good, holy, abundant in lovingkindness, trustworthy, and many other beautiful attributes...


And yet, I don't live accordingly.  I do not praise Him in a manner worthy of Him.  I don't trust Him as I should.  I don't seek after Him consistently or often enough.  I choose to live life my way fairly often and seek to be the captain of my own life in many ways (to be honest, it's not working out too well).


If you're anything like me, too often I take advantage of God's grace and mercy and treat my relationship with Him as though it can be handled on my terms - not in a God honoring manner as described in His word.


I don't devour the word of God by reading much of it daily, even though I have the ability to do so living in the United States where persecution isn't the norm for Christians.  Carrying a Bible for believers in many other countries would be a literal death sentence, and yet here I am with the option of reading God's word even while sitting in a Mexican food restaurant with my family or quoting the Bible and speaking about God as my mom and I go about our weekly shopping at any given store and I don't always acknowledge God and praise Him for who He is.


I don't treasure Him and I don't always trust Him.  I certainly don't always rest in Him and I often cling to my sins of choice by only half-repenting because I doubt His ability to hear and answer in His perfect timing.  I'm guilty of assuming God is oblivious to the hurt in my heart, my desires, longings, and anxiety, and tend to become upset when life isn't going my way.


Sometimes I settle for seeking after God only a fraction of the day or saying, "It has only been a few days since I have read the Bible" which makes it easier to justify not reading God's word the next time I would rather be lazy instead of taking the crucial step of filling my mind with His truth - which really, the neglect of such is only to my detriment and the daily practice of such to my joy, trust, and delight in God (not to mention keeping an accurate view of God's character, how He sees sin, and being reminded of/blessed by Jesus Christ's life, ministry, death and resurrection as described in the Gospels).


I choose to feed my lust instead of pleading with God to give me a clean heart in all ways.


...can you relate?  Will you please pray that in all things, the Lord would take first place in my heart and really transform, sanctify, purify, purge, and refine me?  And if you have any prayer requests, I will take the time to pray daily as well.  You may write to me at:  EmmaJoyBlog@gmail.com

To Pursue or Flee Viewing Pornography?

The following list of quotes regarding pornography and purity I find brilliant.  May God use them to bless, shape, change, and transform you.

The first five quotes were taken from "RisenAgainstTheBeast" on Twitter.


"Watching porn contributes to everything that's wrong in our lives.  Name one good quality about it?  Don't worry, I'll wait."


"I understand making necessary sacrifices, but doing porn is just giving up.  It's Not Worth It."


"AntiPorn doesn't mean antisex.  It's about supporting healthy and responsible relationships.  Let's get it right."


"No one wants to think that porn harms because of the money, pleasure, and fame that goes with it.  They leave out the pain and suffering."


"Treat all females with respect as you would your mother.  U wouldn't watch your mom doing porn.  Why anyone else?"


"Don't be like cigarettes, people buy you when they need you & step on you when they're finished using you."  Steve Stifler


"You can choose the genre, lower the volume and skip through the scenes but that's all the control you have.  Ultimately porn controls you."  GodOverPorn on Twitter


"It's easy for us to revert back to sinful ways when we're not enjoying fellowship with our God."  GodOverPorn on Twitter


"If satan himself can transform himself into an angel of light, he can certainly make detestable things look good before our eyes."  GodOverPorn on Twitter


"If we're not willing to die to the sin in our lives, can we honestly say we are ready to die for the faith we profess?"  GodOverPorn on Twitter


"The brief moment of pleasure that porn provides isn't worth the heartache, guilt and shame that follows along with it.  Porn never satisfies."  GodOverPorn on Twitter


"Sit and think for a second what Hell is like... The eternal torment that'll never stop for a second. Ask yourself... Is your sin worth it?"  Eric Craven


"Pornography is the antithesis to true intimacy."  GOPPrayer on Twitter


"Porn corrupts your mind, hardens your heart and weakens your spirit."  GOPforLadies on Twitter


"We will all go through trials in this life but no matter how hard times get, turning to sin will not make it any better.  Jesus is greater."  GodOverPorn on Twitter


"Pornography never blesses, it only takes.  It never enriches, it only deceives."  GOPforLadies on Twitter


"If we don't obey God today, why do we think we will tomorrow?  Now is the time to live by faith!  Don't put off the voice of God any longer..."  Jonathan Daugherty


"As Christians we have a right & duty to hold each other accountable; to ask hard questions & expect honest answers.  It's love in action..."  Jonathan Daugherty


"God's commands don't lock us in, they keep evil out.  Freedom is found IN Him, not outside on our own.  "A mighty fortress is our God!"  Jonathan Daugherty


"Temptation is an opportunity to either submit to God or give in to our desires."  GodOverPorn on Twitter


"What one reaps from porn & sexual immorality is brokenness, insecurity, & an insatiable hunger for carnality.  FLEE from it!"  Mike Jones


“If you think you can’t fall into sexual sin, then you’re godlier than David, stronger than Samson, & wiser than Solomon.”  Bill Perkins


"Pornography removes the need for true intimacy & destroys the root of what sexual closeness is meant to be."  Mike Jones


"Sexual sins hinder us from being the whole, courageous, powerful witnesses God created us to be."  Jared Lark


"You can either suffer from the changes, or suffer because you have chosen to remain the same."  WholeMagazine on Twitter


"Moralism says: 'God will only accept you if you're clean'. Grace says 'Come to Christ *with* your brokenness and He will make you whole.' "  RZIM Canada

Needed Chastisement for God's Children

 

"Child Chastisement Not Forever"

August 14 Devotional in "Faith's Checkbook" by Charles Spurgeon

"And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not for ever."  (1 Kings 11: 39)


In the family of grace there is discipline, and that discipline is severe enough to make it an evil and a bitter thing to sin. Solomon, turned aside by his foreign wives, had set up other gods and grievously provoked the God of his father; therefore, ten parts out of twelve of the kingdom were rent away and set up as a rival state. This was a sore affliction to the house of David, and it came upon that dynasty distinctly from the hand of God, as the result of unholy conduct. The Lord will chasten His best beloved servants if they cease from full obedience to His laws: perhaps at this very hour such chastening is upon us. Let us humbly cry, "O Lord, show me wherefore thou contendest with me."


What a sweet saving clause is that — "but not for ever"! The punishment of sin is everlasting, but the fatherly chastisement of it in a child of God is but for a season. The sickness, the poverty, the depression of spirit, will pass away when they have had their intended effect. Remember, we are not under law but under grace, The rod may make us smart, but the sword shall not make us die. Our present grief is meant to bring us to repentance that we may not be destroyed with the wicked.

The Purpose and Beauty of Biblical Marriage

 

By Manuel Gonzales

 A list of 6 key designed features of real marriage:

1. God invented real marriage
2. It's between one man and one woman for life
3. Husbands and wives are equal but not the same
4. Husbands and wives provide what is missing in each other
5. Marriage is more important than any other earthly relationship
6. Marriage is the only spiritually, emotionally, and physically intimate relationship that God blesses

Bearing these 6 key features in mind, here are four practical ways God wants to use marriage:

1. God designed real marriage to give us joy.  Real marriage gives us joy because God designed it to do away with loneliness.  Real marriage gives us joy because it forces us to live outside of ourselves.  Real marriage gives us joy because we have someone close with whom we can share God's calling on our lives.
2. God designed marriage to increase the human population.
3. Marriage helps us raise godly children.
4. God designed real marriage to prevent the harmful effects of immorality.

The Necessity of Practicing Gratitude

 

Gratitude.

How needed it is.  And how little we practice it.

Here is an assignment for each one of us:

• Write down everything "right" about your life currently; this could include anything you are not anxious about or overly concerned with.
• Next, write down, memorize, and daily keep in mind the truth of Romans 8: 28 and the faithfulness, wisdom, and goodness of God.
• List all the external blessings and provisions God has bestowed in your life.
• Name everything from having food and shelter, to your eyesight, hearing, and limbs.  Include luxuries like having a cell phone, computer, books to read, the internet to use, air conditioning, a heater, clothes for the summer and winter, shoes, any jewelry, electricity, running water, soap, music, a car, pens and pencils and markers and crayons to draw or write, the ability to go to the store for what we need, access to the Post Office to mail letters or packages, and every other little (or great) luxury you can think of.
• Make sure to write down prayers God has answered (and the times He has, in His wisdom and protection over you, said no), the desires of your heart He has granted, and every time He made a way out of a bad situation, circumstance, relationship, or friendship.
• List God's attributes as described in the Bible.  Praise and offer Him thanks and a joyful heart for the truth of His word, His precious Son and salvation, and God's character.
• Instead of complaining about everything that isn't right about life, begin writing down everything that is "right".

This is a sure way to gain contentment.  Gratitude changes our perspective.

Let us seek to build hearts of thanksgiving and continually live in an attitude of praise to God.

Why not?

We have nothing to lose and everything to gain.  It will take work to be diligent, but why not transfer all the energy, effort, and time we put into complaining to instead learning how to be thankful and daily praise God?